Spending the remainder of the day on the beach, writing my personal mission statement and finalizing my 2010 goals.
Happy New Year to you all. Feliz Ano Nuevo!
'Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a CHANCE, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy; they just promised it'd be worth it.'
'Give into your deepest desires and set this whole damn world on FIRE.'
'Some pursue happiness, others create it.'
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Videos and ideas....
New friend Sharon, South African teaching English in Cozumel, Mexico, shared two videos with me yesterday. Both can be life changing.
Matt. A dancing man who traveled the world to get it on video. Spreading more than just smiles.
Video
Matt's website
Sharon's volunteer project with turtles. If this doesn't make you want to go save a turtle or the world, you have problems!
After seeing these videos, I'm inspired to make some as well. So tell me what YOU want to see and I'll go out and see what I can put on film. Here's your chance....what should I catch on video?
I'll acquire a list, get back to all of you and then we'll vote and see what I'll be videoing.
Leaving you with a fun fact of the day: Israelis read right to left. In their words "Americans read backwards!"
Matt. A dancing man who traveled the world to get it on video. Spreading more than just smiles.
Video
Matt's website
Sharon's volunteer project with turtles. If this doesn't make you want to go save a turtle or the world, you have problems!
After seeing these videos, I'm inspired to make some as well. So tell me what YOU want to see and I'll go out and see what I can put on film. Here's your chance....what should I catch on video?
I'll acquire a list, get back to all of you and then we'll vote and see what I'll be videoing.
Leaving you with a fun fact of the day: Israelis read right to left. In their words "Americans read backwards!"
Monday, December 28, 2009
Can you answer my question?
After many discussions with other travelers, I gave up and started Googling today. Wanting to know this:
Which country's citizens travel the most per capita?
I ask because since I've been on the road I've met a variety of people from all over the world. Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Israel, South Africa, England, Canada, Australia, Wales, France, Netherlands and hardly a handful from the US.
If I were to guess populations by the travelers I'd say that Israel, Canada and Australia are the most populated countries, but that's far from true!
Most statistics say 20-30% of US citizens hold passports. This is a hot topic and comes up quite often in hotel/hostel conversations. However, after my Google rampage this morning, I've come up with 0 hard facts. Some bloggers reporting false facts but no credible sites. Why is this? Why won't governments post facts on their citizens holding passports?
This search does produce interesting results:
country with most millionaires: US, Japan, Britain
happiest country: Costa Rica
most visited country: France
country that makes the most off of tourism: USA
So do you know anything about this? I'm curious!
PS check out this site, maybe you'll find it as facinating as I did: US & World Population Clock
Which country's citizens travel the most per capita?
I ask because since I've been on the road I've met a variety of people from all over the world. Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Israel, South Africa, England, Canada, Australia, Wales, France, Netherlands and hardly a handful from the US.
If I were to guess populations by the travelers I'd say that Israel, Canada and Australia are the most populated countries, but that's far from true!
1 China[5] 1,334,940,000 ppl 19.65%
Chinese Official Population Clock
2 India 1,174,410,000 ppl 17.29%
Indian Official Population Clock
3 United States 308,243,000 ppl 4.54%
United States Official Population clock
4 Indonesia 231,369,500 ppl 3.41%
5 Brazil 192,252,000 ppl 2.83%
Brazilian Official Population Clock
Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population>
Most statistics say 20-30% of US citizens hold passports. This is a hot topic and comes up quite often in hotel/hostel conversations. However, after my Google rampage this morning, I've come up with 0 hard facts. Some bloggers reporting false facts but no credible sites. Why is this? Why won't governments post facts on their citizens holding passports?
This search does produce interesting results:
country with most millionaires: US, Japan, Britain
happiest country: Costa Rica
most visited country: France
country that makes the most off of tourism: USA
So do you know anything about this? I'm curious!
PS check out this site, maybe you'll find it as facinating as I did: US & World Population Clock
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas in El Salvador
Black sand beach. Endless fireworks, really, endless. The big meal on the 24th, the party on the 25th. And by that, they weren't lying when they said everyone goes to the beach. All day.
When in Rome. I spent last night on the beach, throwing fireworks in the air, dancing the kumbia y merengue and singing Feliz Navidad.
Saved 3 packs of Swedish fish that my mom sent me for Halloween, that was my Christmas present along with a card from a friend. Thank you friend. Best Christmas presents I've ever had. After I fell out of my bed, I was practically running to the beach this morning excited to open them there.
'The best things in life aren't things.'
The beach. People watching mostly. The families tote in coolers for picnics. Every surfer hit the waves. And I did cartwheels with a Swiss guy and Slovenian guy!
And just in case you wanted to be jealous....I ate rice and veggies. Something I'm good at concocting now!
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The El Salvadorian public transportation
So I went from North Eastern (Perquin) El Salvador to South Western (Playa El Tunco) today in a variety of buses (8 hours in total.)
Would like to take this time to paint you a picture of what traveling here in El Salvador is like!
By variety of buses I mean, truck......pick-up truck where they pile NO JOKE 35 people in the back, its covered with tarp and has bars to hold onto. Was the first one on in the morning so got the front seat overlooking the cab. I had a lovely conversation with a 9 year old that was sharing my personal space, aka standing in-between my legs. She explained the country in the most beautiful words, simple ones that I could understand.
The next bus might re-visit me in my nightmares. Live and learn type of thing. NEVER sit in the first seat if you have a HUGE backpack. I did. Let me revisit this personal space thing. IT DOESN'T exist here in Central America. Since my backpack took up my leg room in this lovely first seat, my legs shared the isle with 500 other people and 2 chickens. At one point I was being pinned down on my backpack. My back was being attacked by a women's DD boobs, my hand that was gripping the bar for leverage was conveniently covered by a mans armpit and my head was bumping into a stomach of a woman, maybe pregnant, as my seatmate, was breast feeding. This went on constantly for an hour. The people across the isle were laughing at me, yes, the locals laughing at me. What a sight.
I was giddy as ever to get off that bus. Merry Christmas to me that bus ride is over! And I won't EVER sit in the front again. Lesson learned.
Would like to take this time to paint you a picture of what traveling here in El Salvador is like!
By variety of buses I mean, truck......pick-up truck where they pile NO JOKE 35 people in the back, its covered with tarp and has bars to hold onto. Was the first one on in the morning so got the front seat overlooking the cab. I had a lovely conversation with a 9 year old that was sharing my personal space, aka standing in-between my legs. She explained the country in the most beautiful words, simple ones that I could understand.
The next bus might re-visit me in my nightmares. Live and learn type of thing. NEVER sit in the first seat if you have a HUGE backpack. I did. Let me revisit this personal space thing. IT DOESN'T exist here in Central America. Since my backpack took up my leg room in this lovely first seat, my legs shared the isle with 500 other people and 2 chickens. At one point I was being pinned down on my backpack. My back was being attacked by a women's DD boobs, my hand that was gripping the bar for leverage was conveniently covered by a mans armpit and my head was bumping into a stomach of a woman, maybe pregnant, as my seatmate, was breast feeding. This went on constantly for an hour. The people across the isle were laughing at me, yes, the locals laughing at me. What a sight.
I was giddy as ever to get off that bus. Merry Christmas to me that bus ride is over! And I won't EVER sit in the front again. Lesson learned.
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